Temp Employment Agencies & Client Interviews

PasturesNew

I've always used temping between jobs, right from when I was 14 and still at school I'd temp through agencies doing office work.

Over the years I've worked through probably a dozen agencies and in two different areas.

But since I moved 18 months ago and took to temping again, even though the agency have interviewed and tested me, I am continually having to be interviewed by the client before I can start.

When did this start happening and why?

The first agency I temped for just chucked me in somewhere. I'm used to just getting a phone call asking "Can you do this? Can you start tomorrow/Monday?" and then just turning up and starting work.

Now I am finding more and more clients want to interview me - even for just 2 week bookings on basic jobs.

Is this just my area...? Or a few agencies...? Or is it happening everywhere?

Temping used to be easy and well paid. Now it's very time-consuming (loads of phone calls and interviews) whereas before it'd be a simple one off 1-minute phone call giving you the address and start time. Got an interview tomorrow that'll be a 20 mile drive, an hour's interview, complete with more tests ... for 2 weeks' work.

When did the world go mad?

chuckley

depends on the contract.

if its less than a couple months usually they dont interview, but 3 months + they gotta, as its basically a set amount of time with a job spec.

maybe u need to find another agency if ur getting nowhere with this method... i wouldnt do it myself, for a 2 week job.

PasturesNew

Yeah, it's a pain in the butt. The last one did at least interview me by telephone and was more than happy after 2 minutes' discussion.

It is one agency in particular - and they're really bad/disorganised. I only registered with them originally for a permanent job they were advertising, which I got but then the budget was pulled 2 hours later (not signed off), so role pulled ... and now I'm inundated with calls from them (well, 1 a week) asking if I'd be interested IF particular jobs they were vaguely discussing with clients were to come to fruition.

The thing is, if anybody phones me, I just find myself saying "yes" to everything. "Would you want this job if ..." "yes"; "Shall I put your CV forward for ..." "yes"; "They want to interview you, is that OK?" "yes"

I'm a bl00dy "yes woman".

Horace

You need to learn to say No - its because you are a yes woman that they ring you constantly. Register with some more agencies and maybe drop the one that is disorganised - if their office is disorganised then they may well be disorganised with your pay too:eek:

cmw1212

The other week I was put forward by an agency for a 6 week data entry/ basic admin placement and for that I had a panel interview! with 12 other applicants. I suppose it is good that companies are not just taking the first person the agency sends and giving more people a chance. Makes you wonder if maybe they are mistrustful of agencies after all sometimes it can be whoever happens to call and see if any work is available who gets sent to an assignment even though they might not be the best person.

CCFC_80

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've always used temping between jobs, right from when I was 14 and still at school I'd temp through agencies doing office work.

Over the years I've worked through probably a dozen agencies and in two different areas.

But since I moved 18 months ago and took to temping again, even though the agency have interviewed and tested me, I am continually having to be interviewed by the client before I can start.

When did this start happening and why?

The first agency I temped for just chucked me in somewhere. I'm used to just getting a phone call asking "Can you do this? Can you start tomorrow/Monday?" and then just turning up and starting work.

Now I am finding more and more clients want to interview me - even for just 2 week bookings on basic jobs.

Is this just my area...? Or a few agencies...? Or is it happening everywhere?

Temping used to be easy and well paid. Now it's very time-consuming (loads of phone calls and interviews) whereas before it'd be a simple one off 1-minute phone call giving you the address and start time. Got an interview tomorrow that'll be a 20 mile drive, an hour's interview, complete with more tests ... for 2 weeks' work.

When did the world go mad?

It is a sign of the times that company's can be fussy when recruiting people even as you say just for 2 weeks work. A few years ago this company would have probably had to literally kidnap someone off the street to come and work for them on a 2 week contract.